Texans icon J.J. Watt Reflects on T.J. Watt’s Exclusion from Defensive Player of the Year Recognition Following T.J. Watt’s disappointment in missing out on the Defensive Player of the Year title at the NFL Honors event, renowned Houston Texans figure J.J. Watt shared his perspective on the matter. The Pittsburgh Steelers’ T.J. Watt ultimately came in second for the award, with Cleveland Browns’ standout Myles Garrett clinching the title.
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Expressing his disappointment on social media after the outcome, T.J. received support from his older brother J.J., who weighed in on the situation the following day.
J.J. made it clear that he wasn’t looking to diminish Garrett’s achievement in any way. However, he did ponder whether there were additional avenues T.J. could have pursued to secure another Defensive Player of the Year accolade. “Everyone is seeking my stance on DPOY. I understand,” Watt remarked in an interview with X. “The issue is I’m not interested in undermining (Myles Garrett). Myles is an exceptional player, I’m a great admirer, and he’s had an outstanding career thus far. I can acknowledge that while also considering what more T.J. could have potentially achieved.”
J.J. was drafted by the Texans as the 11th pick in the 2011 NFL Draft and spent 10 seasons in Houston before moving to the Arizona Cardinals in March 2021. He is widely regarded as a future first-ballot Hall-of-Famer and one of the premier defensive linemen in NFL history.
With three Defensive Player of the Year awards, five Pro Bowl selections, and five First-Team All-Pro honors in 128 games with the Texans, J.J. stands at 24th place in league history with 114.5 career sacks. If T.J. had won the award, he would have matched his older brother’s tally of three Defensive Player of the Year honors. Despite falling short of this recognition, T.J. continues to be one of the league’s top pass rushers. He recently completed his seventh season and is amassing a resume that could one day rival J.J.’s illustrious career.
Since his debut in 2017, T.J. has amassed 198 quarterback hits and 96.5 career sacks. Additionally, he has recorded seven interceptions, one of which played a pivotal role in the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 24-17 victory over the Los Angeles Rams in Week 6 on October 22nd.
